Jamils new pitching calculator kicks ass

[Cuda]

Thanks Jamil,
Now I know for sure that I’m under pitching

[skipper]

Hey Jamil, where did you register your trademark? Can't find it on the USPO database; are there state based registration systems in the US as well?

[jamilz]

Skipper, there is no need to register a trade mark. If you do, then you use the little R in the circle, for a registered trade mark. If you don't, then you just use the trade mark symbol (the little TM).

The benefits of registering is that it puts a date on your claim, gives folks a place to look for already used trade marks, etc. It might make it a little easier to pursue remedy in court.

However, my understanding is that the legal rights are no different between a registered trade mark and an unregistered one. You just need to stake your claim in a public way, actively use the trade mark, and defend it when you come across someone infringing upon your trade mark.

Of course, I'm not a lawyer, I just play one on TV. I hope that helps.

[Thirsty Mallard]

Although copyrights and trademarks on software are pretty much irrelevant with the way laws are set up.

[beachscrat]

Unbelievable. Coolest calc I've seen yet.

Thanks Pope Jay-Z! I owe you more than a few beers

[bperetto]

Yeah, it LOOKS pretty cool. I'm impressed with that.

Jamil can you explain how you calculate the viability of the yeast in regards to repitching a slurry without knowing the OG of the beer it perviously fermented? Only 94% viable if you pitch fresh slurry the same day, no matter if it came from a 1.040 wort or a 1.090 wort?

Anything 2 months old to a year old is only 10% viable? If it's a day over a year, it's only 1% viable? I can tell you that all the times I've used yeast that's been 2 years old, it was more than 1% viable.

It's an awesome program, but (with all due respect) I don't think you can ever dial down the many variables (between brewers, worts, and strains) to really be practical- especially for homebrewers.

Even with all the scientists and advancements we've had, they still don't know exactly how yeast ferments sugars. Sometimes you have to give up on the science and just let it be an art form. Good work though- that's the slickest calculator of any type I've seen on the web.

[Speyedr]

It's an awesome program, but (with all due respect) I don't think you can ever dial down the many variables (between brewers, worts, and strains) to really be practical- especially for homebrewers.

I'm not trying to answer for his Holiness, but I do think you should keep in mind that even with all of these variables, you will still get a better result than pitching a smack pack into your 1.060 wort, or making a starter with 500ml of wort, essentially just waking it up.

My point is that this calculator gets us closer to where we need/want to be than most of us were before it. If you really want to nail those variables down you can always use a microscope to check the concentration and viability. If not, you can just pump in some conservative estimates and go from there. If your viability is really 10% and you estimate 1%, you'll be OK.

At the end of the day though it is about where you are with your brewing and if what you do now works for you, then that's awesome. As for me, I'll be much more conscious of my pitching rates from now on thanks to this handy dandy calculator.

Just my 2.5...

Rob

[bperetto]

I totally agree with you there, Rob. And I do appreciate the effect that it will have in getting people to understand that a "pitchable" product really isn't the ideal amount.

On the other hand, people shouldn't freak out about pitching rates or go out and buy a microscope to count cells. In the early days, I admit to spooging a tube into a carboy without a starter. Hell, some of those tubes were old and it sometimes took days to see visible fermentation. But those beers came out great and even won some awards.

I'm sure a lot of these pitching rates come from pro brewers- especially the bigger ones. They don't necessarily translate the same to homebrewers. We deal in different quantities and generally without the time constraints of a commercial brewery.

Sorry for the rant. I'm a beer geek and also anal-retentive so I can appreciate the idea of a calculator like that. But I've also tasted many a glorious beer that had been woefully underpitched. This is where I'd throw in the cliched: RDWHAHB. If you enjoy doing those exact measurements, awesome. If you're having a lot of luck with your standard starter, or even with no starter, awesome. As long as you enjoy your beer, that's all that matters.